Well, the last few seconds were outstanding. Most of the rest of the televised portion of UFC 126 was extremely middle-of-the-road, but in the end no hyperbole was needed: Anderson Silva – that magnificent bastard — front kicked Vitor Belfort in the face and knocked him out. No, we’ve never, ever seen anything like it before and probably never, ever will again. It was, in a word, awesome and underscored why (no matter how lackluster the rest of a UFC PPV seems) you absolutely must watch until the bitter end. Just in case something amazing happens. Because sometimes it does. So amazing in fact that all across the country on Saturday night, aging karate masters and mail-order blackbelts jumped out of their seats and shouted, “See? I told you that shit worked!”

As for the rest of us, our abusive relationship with the UFC middleweight champion goes on. Let’s be honest here, through the first three minutes, 20 seconds, it appeared as if Silva and Belfort were conspiring to make Dana White’s nightmare of “the worst staring contest in the history of mankind” come true. Silva came out and circled, and shucked, and even did some stupid dancing just like he did against Demian Maia last April. The initial physical contact of the fight didn’t come until 1:40 into the first, when Belfort nicked Silva with a leg kick. Then, just as the grim reality of his suckiness started to set in all over again – just as we started to think of all the other things we could’ve spent that $50 on – boom, front kick to the face. Game over. And we love him again.

Yet it would be a mistake, we think, to let the unbelievable nature of that knockout obscure the fact that for better and worse Anderson Silva is a total crazyperson who is capable of absolutely anything. We saw what he did at the weigh-ins, right? We saw that on fight night he had Steven Seagal galumphing around ringside wearing frickin’ shooting glasses looking – as a friend of ours noted — like some kind of off-brand Walter Sobchak. We saw that once the fight was over he immediately wanted to be bros with Belfort again, offering him a hug while Vitor was still prone on the canvas, staring up at Silva like, “Mom, is that you?” We saw the postfight interview where Joe Rogan asked him one simple question and Silva proceeded to ramble on in Portuguese for what seemed like an hour and a half.

How do you even begin to judge a guy like this? A guy whose fights always have equal potential to be amazing and/or painstaking? If you’re the UFC, you ignore all the negatives and loudly trumpet him the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and the undisputed GOAT. Right now that seems hard to argue with.

But sitting here today if also feels like – and forgive us for saying this – maybe Chael Sonnen was right. Maybe it’s not so much Anderson Silva that makes fights great, but the quality of his opponents. Give him somebody he feels excited about fighting, he might do something exciting. Give him somebody underwhelming, he’ll underwhelm. And boy, what does that say for further middleweight bouts with guys like Yushin Okami or Nate Marquardt or Michael Bisping? Potentially bad things, man.

I guess what we’re trying to say is: Short of a Sonnen rematch, it’s time for the Georges St. Pierre fight. Or it’s time for Silva to start taking on contenders at light heavyweight. From here on out there don’t seem to be a ton of challenges for him to get excited about at 185-pounds and when Anderson Silva’s not excited, neither are we.

And for Belfort? Well, the UFC went out of its way to promote him as the most dangerous standup threat of Silva’s career and he ended up suffering a knockout that will be replayed on highlight reels and clip shows for the rest of his life. So that kind of sucks for him. Not really his fault, though. Just goes to show: You can expect Jesus, bro, every day, but nobody – and we mean nobody – expects a front kick to the face.

How many stong wrestlers does Anderson have to beat before he will be respected as a great fighter...he beat Lutter, Sonnen, and fucking Dan Henderson...all finishes too. Silva is the best fighter in the world right now...yes he clowns guys...so what, you don't like it...beat him. 13 straight with 8 successful title defenses and still getting hated for dancing in the ring and clowning goes at the weigh ins. He's the best ever at 185 and will go down in history as such.

MitchDeCoste- February 6, 2011 at 11:56 pm

silva!

CrazyButNotReally- February 6, 2011 at 8:12 pm

@Ballkick

I think there should be more "traditional" martial artists in mma. Of course, they'd have to at least know how to defend themselves against wrestling or jiu-jitsu. And if they were exceptional at either of those, even better - it would be a dominant combination. But to see fighters only rely on the most basic striking techniques is just bothersome - it's like a voluntary restriction of artillery on their part.
It's not only about the entertainment either... Every fight starts with fighters on their feet, so if a fighter has a skillful and dangerous variety of punches and kicks, he or she would have the initial advantage.

2DaDeath- February 6, 2011 at 8:04 pm

"THIS... IS... SPARTA!"

sorry couldn't help myself.

KINGMADE- February 6, 2011 at 4:23 pm

Anderson should walk through GSP... would rather see him against Jones Rua winner.

ghostboner- February 6, 2011 at 3:54 pm

I've said it a billion times, GSP vs Anderson = who cares? GSP has no chance. None. Anderson should have moved up to 205 years ago. ALthough I would love to see Jake Shields fight Anderson. Jake did call him and GSP out a couple years ago when he was in strikeforce.

Also, good call on whoever said Sign Manhoef to a 1 fight deal to fight Anderson. No way Manhoef has earned a title fight, but I'd sure love to watch that fight go down.

grannygrunt- February 6, 2011 at 2:18 pm

Is it just me or does Anderson Silva look like Samuel L. Jackson in that photo?

budsellers- February 6, 2011 at 1:47 pm

just want to point out to everyone that anderson used this same snap kick in the first 2 minutes of the henderson bout. iirc, he landed it to the cheek with his left and then changed stances and tried the right foot, but henderson blocked it. not sure why ariel accepted seagal's interpretation of the way anderson learned the technique because i am sure he watched that fight too.

edit: oh i see unclelarry already mentioned this as well.

KarmaAteMyCat- February 6, 2011 at 1:46 pm

@Budsellers

Thank you for using the proper terminology.

KarmaAteMyCat- February 6, 2011 at 1:22 pm

@ Drano

Nothing to do with Grammar, semantics run this sport so sorry for clarifying the type of front kick he used. MY BAAAAAAAD ANGRY GUY! I'm not a grammar nazi either you can butcher the english language all you want.

@USERNAME

Thank you! i was just trying to tell the uneducated ones that it was not a PUSH kick but a SNAP KICK.

@Perpatriator

He only has a Yellow Belt in Capoeira. Though you make valid points about foot movement and what not.

@RwilsonR

Their still going to make GSP fight Anderson if he gets by shields. I said if I almost made myself giggle. Seriously though Anderson at 205lbs isn't a bad idea at all.

@K-onda

I couldn't agree with you more. Nobody asked you to view them as your hero's or the people we hate. they put on amazing shows thus they deserve the respect for that. Hates are gonna hate though man it's part of how the world works.

RwilsonR- February 6, 2011 at 12:45 pm

I wanted to see GSP fight Anderson, but now I'd rather see Anderson vacate 185 and move to 205 and find challenges there. GSP could move to 185 and chellenge himself against plenty of bigger guys that would make for interesting fights as he runs through the challengers Anderson has already beaten at MW. I'm with Drano in that I don't want to see a class act like GSP wasted on an asshole like Anderson. Then both guys could show what they have in higher weight classes.

Also, I liked Chael more than most, and I loved watching him pound on Anderson for 23 minutes straight, but I think it is becoming increasingly clear that Anderson's rib injury excuse was legit. He was not himself that fight, and I think things might look a lot different in a rematch even if Chael takes all the testosterone his body can handle.

Ballkick- February 6, 2011 at 11:58 am

Too late

tnbp- February 6, 2011 at 11:56 am

lol @Ballkick. Insecure much? I thought they made good counter-points to your strenuously-made points. No need to get upset about it...

d-vex- February 6, 2011 at 11:52 am

best headline

k-onda- February 6, 2011 at 11:45 am

Silva's a little more than a great fighter y'all. He routinely does things of such a devestating nature, it's amazing.
If anyone finds his fights un-entertaining, then I gotta ask why you're watching MMA.
I get a little sick of hearing people judge these athletes by what they say like it's some soap opera, or what they wore on tv - what a bunch of bitches.

Ballkick- February 6, 2011 at 11:41 am

@MMAINMYBLOOD & Jazzninja

Thank you both from the bottom of my heart for pointing out every perceived flaw in logic in my post.
What was I thinking? Your views are so much more intelligent and thought provoking. Please stand up and accept the due applause you so richly deserve.

Wow, I had no idea just how ignorant I was until you both pointed it out so succinctly. You are both superior posters here at CP and I think we lower lifeforms here are enriched by your mere presence.
outstanding, simply outstanding. Really great stuff guys.

Savageleto- February 6, 2011 at 11:40 am

I have no desire to see GSP fight Anderson...

I think its a stupid move.

Username- February 6, 2011 at 11:40 am

KarmaAteMyCat Says:
Sun, 02/06/2011 - 19:02

CORRECTION! FRONT SNAP KICK.

--> that's right! Usually guys do a normal front-kick which is a pushing/thrusting motion. I think the snap is what caused the knockout here

PERPATRAITOR- February 6, 2011 at 11:27 am

Why do people criticize silva for "dancing"!? It's makes no fucking sense considering he's a black belt in capoeira. Maybe the dancing is his technique,drrrrrrr. That's like saying Clay Guida has to quit bouncing like an idiot, it's his fighting style! However, andersons style has a name. Capoeira! Ummm who else does that? Oh yea! Anthony "showtime" Pettis. Has he done any cool kicks lately?? He is also a capoeira practitioner, which makes for unique and exciting strikes. I love it, dance away Anderson!!! MMA looks like a chess game often and fighters try to think quicker than the other or predict their move to counter or defend. They study so they can react properly. So when Anderson dances and moves in weird circular motions how the fuck can you predict what's next, or where his head is to punch. Chuck Norris x Bruce Lee = Anderson Spider Silva. I feel like Anderson is creating a fighting technique like Bruce Lee did. Muay Thai with Capoeira makes sick sick standup with wreckless power being generated from the movement. Ever see that movie "the one" with jet li. Watch the end fight and you will get what I'm saying. Ps WAR Diaz fuckers

Dagnut- February 6, 2011 at 11:22 am

I think he'll destroy Sonnen in a re-match, he had an off night and his ass handed o him and still managed to win...thats the sign of a quality quality fighter...you see it all sports..Feder coming back from 2 sets down..tiger shooting 65 on the final day.. Jordan hitting the jumper in th last few seconds......the Sonnen fight didn't lower him in my estimation> to me it made him a sporting legend...last night just cemented it for me...pity he's such an asshole because he is the most naturally gifted fighter MMA has ever seen

danomite- February 6, 2011 at 11:20 am

Did you guys know that Steven Seagal invented the front kick? Well he did. Watch his interview with Ariel Helwani. Ariel asks him if he's ever seen anything like it before and dude actually says, "no, because I've only taught it to a couple people".

Also, anybody that thought Vitor had any chance were either thinking with their hearts or were completely brainwashed by the UFC hype machine. I think one of the first things I said about this fight, the first time it was made, was that it was tailor-made for a HL reel knockout. Really the only guy who is a threat to Anderson, because there seems to be nobody with good wrestling other than Chael at 185, is Yushin Okami. And guess who also has been getting the shaft when it comes to title shots over the last couple years. It's Yushin Okami. Dana knows that he's the only threat out there and he also knows that an Okami fight will sell about 5 ppv's. That's why we get fights like this.

djp1988- February 6, 2011 at 11:19 am

Silva's a great fighter. He's got one of the worst cases of bipolar disorder I've ever seen, but he's a great fighter.

Canadian Chronic- February 6, 2011 at 11:16 am

AS should move to LHW and fight Bones or some of the other top LHWs.

His fights are boring and anti-climatic(save AS vs CS). Talk about being a big fish in a little pond, if this shit @MW is sooooo easy, take on a real challenge fucker.

Dont get me wrong, great fighter, terrible human being. Fuckin clowning a guy during the weigh-ins, then trying to hug him while he's laying on the canvas, fuck off man. That'll getcha a hockey stick in the chops where I come from

Jazzninja- February 6, 2011 at 10:57 am

@Ballkick

The thing that makes Silva and Jones so entertaining and successful is not that they are willing to use Muay Thai. Its that they are special athletes. Muay Thai has been used very heavily by mma fighters for may years. You don't see those moves because largely they are impractical and inefficient. These fighters find success with these moves because they are so skilled/athletic that they are able to actually pull them off quickly and in situations that would be impractical to most other people. Once the ability threshold is reached they gain a whole new value as unexpected and surprising. Once they reach that stage: sure a straight left or shin to the head would be more efficient and likely more powerful but people are expecting and defending them for that reason. Noone is expecting someone to actually attempt, let alone pull off a spinning elbow or a flying ankle lock. If such moves became more common than regular bread and butter attacks they would be trained for and nullified accordingly.

TLDR? Muay Thai has been used for ages. Its the athlete not the art that is the causal factor. The king of pure martial arts is BJJ we already established that.
Jones learned his striking from youtube.

Bluerinosg- February 6, 2011 at 10:52 am

REALLY well written and funny article. LOVE IT.

MMAINMYBLOOD- February 6, 2011 at 10:46 am

Ballkick what cp is saying is what everyone else is thinking but you.... He did it on the big stage and koed the mike tyson of mma with a simple and normally non lethal move... clearly you can see that I mean you have watched other mma fights right? When was the last time you saw royce gracie ko someone with his much less devastating version? Oh and btw John jones was doing his flashy but effective stuff before he even joined the Jackson Camp. From what I have seen in the UFC oh i dont know since maybe like.....UFC 1 there has been some sort of Muay thai fighter... the problem is not all of them are this good... or this athletic... or sometimes too traditional... watch Amir Sodallah that guy aint too shabby with his eight limbs...Mir as clumsy as he is usess it pretty well... Aldo... I can go on and on but my point is there already is enough Muay Thai in the UFC and its already Better and more entertaining.

CORRECTION: shut the hell up already.
When is your next fight and will it be televised?
No?
Then shut up already.
don't be the dude that is the new MMA-nazi.
Nobody likes the douchebag grammar nazi and nobody is gonna like this very long.

MMAINMYBLOOD- February 6, 2011 at 10:42 am

Oh and I love the referance to The Big Lebowski that is classic.

Waxedpants- February 6, 2011 at 10:39 am

One of Jean Charlie Skarbowski's greatest muay thai knockouts was a left front kick to the face that looked almost exactly the same.

just sayin

Ballkick- February 6, 2011 at 10:21 am

The thing that makes Silva and Jones so entertaining and successful is that they are willing to use techniques that the other MMA fighters will not.
I would like to point out that the techniques that they use are all based in Muay Thai.
The Art of 8 Limbs. IMHO the "King"of Martial Arts.
Spinning back elbows and Teeb's to the face are practiced widely in this discipline.
For CP writers to say that this is a rare occurrence in combative sports is a misnomer on their part.
Buakaw used them successfully in his K1 fight with Masato, (and many others) and although there was no KO from them it was plain to see the effectiveness of this technique. No doubt Silva has watched many of Buakaw's fights.
Bones Jones is trained by Phil Nurse out of NYC and I am sure learned all his spinning back elbows from one of the pioneers of Muay Thai in the USA.
The more fighters that learn and employ Muay Thai in the UFC, the better and more entertaining the UFC will become.

Your Dumb- February 6, 2011 at 10:11 am

bwahahaha... Jesus picks Anderson.

KarmaAteMyCat- February 6, 2011 at 10:11 am

You really want Anderson at 205lbs? I suppose I can't disagree after he Kills GSP.

rearnakedchickenchoke- February 6, 2011 at 10:11 am

I still hate Silva and wish him out of there. Nice kick, but he still sucks to watch.

I was hoping Vitor would have learned from Chael NOT to dick around and just go at Silva before he can establish a rhythm and his opponent's timing. Obviously asking too much. Lulled to sleep he was.

MMAndersonSilva- February 6, 2011 at 10:09 am

Anderson Silva is in no way crazy; he just doesn’t play to U.S. fans/audiences. We Americans are too fat, homophobic, racist, and stupid to appreciate his genius: “Oh no, he wears pink shirts, has dark skin, talks in a high voice, and actually possess the skills of a ninja!” In the words of Joe Rogan, Anderson Silva is “the best there’s ever been.” Anyone who isn’t interested in watching him fight needs to reevaluate his or her perspective on MMA. The man performs a kick that would be seen as a fluke if he hadn’t ended fight after fight in similarly impossible ways. Unappreciative bastards!

Lysol- February 6, 2011 at 10:02 am

SIGN MARVELOUS MEL! That's a standup war Silva would get excited about or get KTFO trying to

KarmaAteMyCat- February 6, 2011 at 10:02 am

CORRECTION! FRONT SNAP KICK.

ccman- February 6, 2011 at 9:57 am

Belfort did exactly what noone wanted him to do. Get goaded to sleep by the showboating and hype and give a flat footed opening.

Broke my heart.

Upside I sported the nation shirt to the fight and was asked bout it like 40x.

Prometheus- February 6, 2011 at 9:50 am

What if GSP loses to Shields? I doubt that will happen, but still...would that mean Silva fights Shields? The only people I want to see Silva fight are Sonnen and GSP. As much as I love front kick KO's, I also want to see a competitive fight.

NinjaNerd8- February 6, 2011 at 9:48 am

@hotsaucemonster

This.

edhedicus- February 6, 2011 at 9:45 am

It is cruel and unusual punishment for GSP to put him in against this monster. What did GSP ever do to Dana for him to even consider that?
I want him to fight Bones, Rua, love to see him destroy Evans, then on to HW. How amazing would a Velasquez/Silva, or JDS fight be?

hotsaucemonster- February 6, 2011 at 9:38 am

anderson silva is not a complete fighter. we figured this out when he fought chael sonnen. put him in the ring with a really strong wrestler with a good takedown and who can actually role out of bed without landing into a triangle he'll lose

Anderson has been using that front kick to the face for a while now. I remember he drilled Dan Henderson a few times with it, just not on the button like he did Vitor.

Sudos KFC- February 6, 2011 at 9:26 am

Jesus picked Big State to help redeem his father...everyone knows that

Hammer- February 6, 2011 at 9:26 am

I was watching Rogan's face when Silva was half way through his ramble and I could tell Joe wanted to interupt, but I could also tell he was thinking about how he valued not getting kicked in the face. And so ramble on Silva did.